Sub-target aiming device



33-2 0. OR 3,475,821 SR SEARCHRUOM Nov. 4, 1969 c. R. HUDDLESTON 3,475,821

SUBTAR GET AIMING DEVI CE Filed Feb. 4, 1969 INVENTOR Ma da pkblld will Kr Mafllmwl 14 TTOR N E YS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A highly accurate sub-target aiming device for aiming a rifle for use in benchrest shooting competition wherein the aiming device comprises a magnifying eyepiece mounted on the rifle for viewing an independent fixed point adjacent the firing mechanism for precisely aiming the rifle at an exact target.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to a microscopic optical aiming device which is adapted to be attached to the receiver of the firing mechanism and focused on an independent point not connected to the firing mechanism but adjacent thereto for aligning the bore of the rifle with reference to a distant target.

Description of the prior art Benchrest shooting is a competitive sport in which high-powered rifles are fired at targets at relatively long ranges, such as distances of 200 yards and greater, with the object being to fire all of the shots into the hole in the target made by the initial shot. In order to accomplish this, aiming becomes very critical and the equipment used is very sophisticated. For example, high-powered telescopic sights have been used to aid the firer in aiming the gun or rifle, the ammunition is usually loaded by hand by each individuad competitor, and the guns are supported on benchrests to further aid the firer in aiming and to minimize the movement of the weapon between shots.

However, the high-powered telescopic sights which are employed to aim the guns or realign them after each successive shot are subject to inaccuracies due to parallax and also due to optical distortion caused by heat waves from the gun barrel or heat or haze in the atmosphere so that the true sight picture is often inaccurate. Also, poor lighting and haze lend to the critical problems encountered in competitive bench type shooting.

SUMMARY The present invention provides a new and improved aiming device comprising a microscopic sight or eyepiece adapted to be mounted on the receiver of the firing mechanism of a rifle and focused on an independent object or point adjacent the firing mechanism to obviate the problems of parallax and optical distortion encountered in using high-powered telescopic sights for aiming the rifle at a distance target.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved aiming device which obviates the problems of parallax and optical distortion encountered in focusing on distant objects wherein a microscope is secured to the rifle for viewing a reticule positioned adjacent the firing mechanism.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved aiming mechanism wherein a light source is attached to the firing mechanism which produces a beam of light which is adapted to be focused on a fixed object adjacent to the firing mechanism.

3,475,821 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view showing the aiming device of the present invention mounted on a gun that is held in position for firing;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing details of the arrangement and construction of the aiming device of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the apparatus of the present invention secured to a gun.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The aiming deivce of the present invention is designated generally A in FIG. 1 of the drawings where it is shown mounted on a rifle R which includes the firing mechanism M, the barrel B and the front sight S; the rifle is shown being aimed by a firer F and resting on a benchrest support.

As shown, the aiming device A includes a magnifying eyepiece 11, which is positioned adjacent the firing mechanism and secured to the rifle R by means of a suitable adjustable clamp 14. As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, such clamp includes sideplates 15 and 16 which are connected to the rifle R by means of screws or bolts 17 and 18 adjacent the firing mechanism M. It will be appreciated that any suitable adjustable clamping mechanism may be provided for supporting the optical eyepiece 11 on the firing mechanism M; however, such clamping means should not obstruct or interfere with the firers view of the front sight S whereby the rifle may be sighted on a distant target T in the normal visual manner.

As shown, the aiming device includes a laterally extending shaft or projection 20 which extends laterally relative to the clamping mechanism for supporting the eyepiece on the rifle R.

The magnifying eyepiece 11 is slidably supported on a support housing 24 that is rotatably mounted on the outer end of the projecting member 20. By rotating the support body 24, the elevation of the eyepiece 11 may be set at any position between the horizontal and vertical; however, an angle of substantially forty-five degrees is preferred. Such magnifying eyepiece comprises a tubular barrel 26 having the necessary optical lenses therein to provide the desired magnification and preferably the magnification may vary form fifty to three hundred.

Such tubular body 26 is provided with longitudinally extending rack 30 which extends longitudinally of such tubular member and is provided for engaging a suitable gear 31 that is rotatably mounted in the support body 24 on a shaft 28 which may be rotated manually by a knob 32 to drive the rack for moving the magnifying eyepiece 11 longitudinally relative to the support body 24 for focusing the eyepiece on the desired independent point or object as will be described hereinafter.

As shown, the eyepiece is focused on a reticle or subtarget 47 which is inscribed on a focusing plane 44 on a block 45 that is positioned adjacent the rifle R but is independent thereof and not connected thereto. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the focusing surface 44 that is inclined at a forty-five degree angle relative to the horizon so as to be substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the eyepiece 11. However, it will be appreciated that the surface 44 on which the reticle appears may be positioned at other angles, if desired. The block 44 may be fixed or secured to any suitable stationary object that can be positioned conveniently adjacent to the firer, such as the benchrest 46, or, if desired, the reticle block may be set on the ground or floor beside the benchrest on which the rifle rests. A reticle 47 may either comprise a pair of crosshairs,

as-normally found in a sight, or, if desired, a grid or other type of indicia of reference points may be provided on the focusing surface 44.

In using the aiming device of the present invention, the magnifier-eyepiece 11 is filmly attached by means of a suitable clamp 14 to the receiver of the firing mechanism and the reticle is then set up in an appropriate position adjacent the firer. The elevation of the eyepiece is adjustable and is preferably adjusted so that the longitudinal axis of the eyepiece is perpendicular to the surface of the plane on which the reticle is formed. Thereafter, the eyepiece is adjusted by means by the focus adjustment knob 28 until the image of the reticle 47 is in proper focus. It will be appreciated that for better sighting, especially at night or under poor lighting conditions, the reticle can be lighted either internally or externally.

With the firing mechanism aligned or sighted in on the desired reference point on the reticle with reference reticle block 45 is adjusted or positioned so as to fix the desired reference point on the reticle with refernce to the magnifying eyepiece so that the rifle is then ready to fire. After firing, the recoil and subsequent re-loading procedure may bring the rifle off of the original first shot; however, inspection of the reticle 47 through the magnifier-eyepiece will enable the rifle to be realigned to the exact same reference point on the reticle by the firer. No additional inspection of the distant target is required in order to accurately align the rifie barrel B for each subsequent shot since when the magnifier-eyepiece is properly oriented relative to the reticle, the rifle will then be properly aligned with regard to the exact same point on the distant target at which the first shot was fired.

In an alternate embodiment of the appparatus of the present invention, a beam of light from a suitable light source may be directed through a suitable focusing apparatus to project an image on the plane of the reticle should an image of a reticle be projected through a suitable optical instrument it could be superimposed on the reticle inscribed on the focusing plane 44 so that when the rifle is properly aligned the images will be congruent, that is, when the image of the reticle projected by the light source is projected onto the image of the stationary reticle holder, the images will be super-imposed so that they will be coincident throughout, thereby indicating to the firer that the rifle is realigned on its original target. It will be appreciated that a small pen-light or flashlight may be suitably connected to the focusing apparatus to 4 provide the necessary light to project an image onto th focusing plane 44. 1

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A sub-target aiming device for aligning a gun barrel with reference to a distant target comprising:

(a) a microscopic-eyepiece;

(b) means for securing such eyepiece to the gun;

(c) a stationary reference point positioned adjacent the gun and mounted independently thereof for viewing through said microscopic-eyepiece; and

(d) the microscopic-eyepiece and stationary reference point being mounted in such a relationship to the gun barrel that when the microscopic-eyepiece is aligned with the stationary reference point the gun barrel is in alignment with the distant target.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said microscopiceyepiece has a longitudinal axis and is movable longitudinally along the longitudinal axis to permit focusing the microscopic-eyepiece on the reference point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microscopiceyepiece is rotatably mounted on said gun to permit adjustment of the elevation of the axis of the microscopiceyepiece relative to the axis of the gun barrel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,217,376 2/ 1917 Wedgewood. 1,323,841 12/ 1919 Cummings. 1,369,572 2/ 1921 Strohn. 2,268,113 12/ 1941 Fidelman. 2,352,000 6/1944 Nogrady. 2,516,319 7/ 1950 Hooker. 2,571,511 10/1951 Winter. 3,143,811 8/1964 Tucci et al.

739,779 9/ 1903 Cummings.

J EWELL H. PEDERSEN, Primary Examiner WARREN A. SKLAR, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 356172, 247 

